After a long stretch of unseasonably cool and rainy days, the skies finally parted and the sun resurfaced at Mount Moosilauke on June 8. Ed Kern ’67 says he put in his order for good weather five years ago. That’s when Kern first had the idea to rally his classmates to build a new bunkhouse at Moosilauke in time for their 50th Reunion.

Now, 50 years after graduation and five years since the project began, Kern beamed as he surveyed the crowd gathered to celebrate the official opening of the Class of 1967 Bunkhouse.

“This place to some people is more Dartmouth than Dartmouth,” said Kern, who has served on the Moosilauke Advisory Committee for the past 15 years. “This is almost a sacred place to me. It’s not the biggest or most challenging mountain, but for Dartmouth students it’s a portal to the old earth.”

More than 170 classmates contributed $500,000 to build the new bunkhouse, which sits adjacent to the Ravine Lodge. The 1,400 square-foot bunkhouse will provide overnight lodging for 24 guests. The timber-framed bunkhouse features a soaring central social space and quiet back patio facing Baker River, which provides a continuous soundtrack of flowing water.

The Class also raised $18,820 to provide solar panels on the roof of the Class of 1967 Bunkhouse beginning this summer. It’s the first power purchasing agreement sponsored by alumni to help the College’s sustainability efforts.